John Whalen

Cohort 1

April 2025

Cohort 2

July 2025

June 2025

May 2025

June-July 2025

August 2025

Facing AI-driven change? Download The Future of UX Research Roles – A Primer for AI-Aware Researchers to understand how AI is evolving your role from data collector to strategic orchestrator. Inside, explore AI-powered workflow shifts, debunk common fears, identify the five key skills you’ll need, and preview cutting-edge tools. Future-proof your career—adapt with confidence, maintain human insight, and lead in the AI era.

The Future of UX Research Roles – A Primer for AI-Aware Researchers

Ready to supercharge your UX research? Download AI-Powered Analysis – A Primer for UX Researchers, adapted from John Whalen, PhD’s AI for Customer Research course. Discover how to leverage AI’s speed and scale while maintaining human rigor. You’ll get step-by-step guidance on summarizing transcripts at scale, clustering themes, linking qualitative insights to metrics, and best practices for validating AI outputs. Whether you’re handling 10 interviews or 1,000, this primer equips you to integrate AI into every stage of your analysis.

AI-Powered Analysis – A Primer for Researchers

Tired of slow, repetitive UX research tasks? This free guide shows you how to master prompt engineering to supercharge your research with AI—cutting hours off analysis, boosting insight depth, and keeping your work truly human-centered. Learn powerful meta-prompts, best practices, and practical examples you can use immediately. Download now to transform your workflow and future-proof your skills!

Transform Your UX
Research with AI: Master
Prompt Engineering

Synthetic Users – A Primer for Researchers

Discover how AI-moderated interviews can transform your UX research! This primer reveals when AI shines, where it falls short, and how to use it effectively. You’ll learn practical strategies for faster, scalable insights without sacrificing research integrity. Whether you're curious, skeptical, or ready to experiment, this guide provides clear examples, best practices, and tool recommendations to help you leverage AI and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving research landscape.

AI-Moderated Interviews – An Introductory Primer for Researchers

We conducted a head-to-head test of humans and AI-tools each performing research tasks such as designing studies, moderating interviews, analyzing results, and creating deliverables. We then had expert researchers blindly evaluate the output from AI and humans to learn when AI tools performed well, and when humans are indispensable. Download a 1-page brief summarizing our findings to find out when AI tools were most valuable!

AI vs Humans - A User Research Showdown

Elevate your research: This hands-on course shows you how to harness cutting-edge AI tools and make AI your powerful partner.

John Whalen, PhD

AI for Customer Research: Future-Proof Your UX & Product Skills

Producer

Founder

Group Creative Director

Founder, BellaVia Research

Principal Product Manager

Human Experience Researcher & Strategist

UXR  

Sr product UX researcher

Senior User Research Consultant

User Researcher

As a UX researcher, you know that real insights come from empathy, deep observation, and critical thinking. Yet today's market demands you work smarter—and AI is playing a leading role in top research teams. This course is designed for researchers, whether in-house or freelance, who want to integrate AI into their workflow without sacrificing the uniquely human insights that set you apart. In this immersive, interactive course, discover how AI is revolutionizing research by delivering rapid insights, unprecedented scale, and innovative techniques like synthetic users. You'll be introduced to groundbreaking tools while mastering practical prompt engineering that you can use immediately. WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT Practical, Step-by-Step GuidanceYou’ll experience a hands-on, interactive curriculum that demystifies AI for UX research. Every module is designed to guide you through real-world techniques — like meta-prompting and AI interview moderation — explained in clear language with relatable examples. You'll learn how to apply these methods directly to your projects, making the transition to AI seamless and manageable. Time-Saving Strategies:Discover proven methods to automate repetitive tasks such as AI-powered interviews and AI-enhanced analysis. But also learn when –&nbsp;and when not –&nbsp;to use them ... which is the real time savings! You’ll have more time to focus on strategic analysis and ensure that your valuable expertise drives your research outcomes. A Carefully Curated Set of Tools &amp; TechniquesInstead of sifting through an overwhelming array of AI tools, I've selected a handful of tools that: (a) we've used and tested, and (b) demonstrate what's possible throughout the research lifecycle ... so that you can quickly identify the right solutions for you. Real-World ExercisesEngage in live sessions and practical exercises that replicate the challenges you face in your everyday work. You’ll have opportunities to test AI techniques on actual research data, compare AI outputs, and receive feedback in real time. This immersive experience builds confidence and ensures you can replicate success in your own projects. Expert Guides &amp; Prompt LibrariesGain exclusive access to a library of expert guides. These detailed, step-by-step manuals walk you through every aspect of integrating AI into your research, covering topics such as:•&nbsp;AI-Powered Analysis: Rapidly process large qualitative datasets by surfacing themes and integrating multilingual and quantitative insights—with essential human oversight for validation and context.•&nbsp;Prompt Engineering: Craft detailed, context-rich prompts to streamline routine tasks, reduce bias, and uncover nuanced insights with concrete meta-prompts and examples.•&nbsp;AI-Moderated Interviews: Set up and refine AI-moderated research sessions for rapid, scalable, and ethically managed interviews, balancing automation with human oversight. •&nbsp;Leveraging Synthetic Users: Use artificial personas to quickly test ideas and simulate diverse scenarios, while combining synthetic feedback with real-user validation to capture authentic insights.•&nbsp;Future-Proofing Your UX Research Career: Understand how AI is reshaping UX research by comparing current practices with emerging trends, highlighting evolving skills and strategic insight synthesis. Community &amp; Expert SupportWhen you join the course, you’re not just accessing content—you’re joining an exclusive network of seasoned UX researchers. Benefit from direct access to John Whalen, PhD, and engage with peers who understand your challenges. This supportive community offers ongoing guidance, collaborative problem-solving, and the reassurance that you’re not navigating the AI landscape alone. WHY IT MATTERS Reclaim Your Time for Strategic WorkBy automating time-consuming tasks, you free up valuable hours that can be redirected to high-level analysis and high-value strategic work. This not only boosts productivity but also enables you to deliver richer insights and drive more value (ROI!). Enhance Your Expertise, Not Replace ItThe course addresses the core fear that AI might erode the human touch in research. Instead, it shows you how AI acts as an amplifier of your unique skills—allowing you to maintain the empathy, intuition, and critical thinking that only a seasoned researcher can provide. It’s about working smarter, not replacing what makes you irreplaceable. Overcome Overwhelm and Tool FatigueWith AI tools rapidly emerging, the landscape can be chaotic and intimidating. This course provides a curated, structured approach to learning AI for research. Gain clarity and confidence by focusing on proven, reliable techniques. Future-Proof Your CareerIn a rapidly evolving digital environment, staying ahead means continuously updating your skillset. By mastering AI tools tailored for research, you not only improve your current workflow but also secure your position as a forward-thinking leader. The skills you gain will ensure that your expertise remains indispensable—even as technology advances. Immediate, Tangible ROIThe benefits of this course are measurable from day one. With faster analysis, more accurate data synthesis, and streamlined workflows, you’ll see a direct impact on your research efficiency and quality. This immediate return on investment reinforces that learning AI isn’t just about staying current—it’s about dramatically enhancing your professional performance. WHAT MAKES THIS CLASS UNIQUE Exclusive Access &amp; Expert Guest SpeakersEnjoy trial access to exclusive, enterprise-grade AI platforms that aren’t always available publicly, and live guest sessions with the visionary founders of these tools. In May's cohort alone, you'll gain access to: Wondering, Listen Labs, Coloop, Marvin, NEXT, Vurvey and Synthetic Users. Founders will demonstrate their tools, provide research best practices, and share their insights into the future of research. Balanced Exposure to Specialized tools and Prompt Engineering for any LLMWhile you’ll explore new AI tools, you’ll also learn prompt engineering techniques that yield immediate, tangible benefits throughout your research lifecycle – great for professionals working with sensitive data and limited access to AI tools. Collaborative, Hands-On LearningParticipate in live workshops that combine expert guidance, interactive practice, and peer collaboration to solve real-world research challenges. Get your hands on these tools and discuss the experience with your peers. Sometimes the conversation gets very real about what works and doesn't work – something not typically shared elsewhere. COURSE FORMAT﻿⏰ Live Workshops: Four engaging 120-minute sessions per week featuring live demos, group activities, special guests and interactive discussions. Note: We do each session twice for your convenience. Once at 1-3pm EST and once 7-9pm EST – attend whichever you like! This is not only convenient but also makes the student-to-teacher ratios excellent for learning and individual attention. 💻 Practical Application: One hour per class of homework between sessions applying AI tools in real-world research scenarios. ❓ Weekly Q&amp;A Sessions: Live sessions for personalized support, immediate feedback, and extra guidance. 🎥 Recorded Sessions: Access all session recordings to revisit and solidify your learning at your own pace.

Gain a Powerful Research Partner: Elevate Your Work with AI

Course syllabus

Interactive workshop: Learn new concepts and get set up to conduct hands-on training with AI-powered research tools. Workshops are being run identically in the afternoon and evening so that you can pick what works best for you!

Tuesdays

Test and master AI-powered tools for research design, recruiting, research moderation, data analysis, and reporting. Determine which tools are right for you.

Weekly projects

Optional time to meet with the session host and get 1:1 advice and support.

Office hours

Course schedule

Researchers who want faster, more effective ways to uncover insights and to learn new techniques like synthetic users.

Product Managers and Designers seeking simple and rapid product discovery and concept validation techniques they can do themselves.

Leaders and Founders looking for efficient, data-driven decisions that keep them ahead of the curve. Prepare your new research operation.

This course is for

Outcomes

Transform your workflow by dramatically speeding up data collection and analysis. Leverage AI tools to scale your research, achieving faster insights and managing global studies with ease while maintaining high quality.

Accelerate & Scale Your Research

Integrate a select few, high-impact AI tools into your existing process— advanced AI prompting, AI-powered moderation, AI-enhanced analysis or synthetic users.

Enhance Your Workflow

Future-proof your career by mastering the latest techniques such as ai-moderation and synthetic uses, making your skills irreplacable.

Stay Ahead of the Curve

Connect with a network of UX researchers who are navigating the evolving AI landscape together, sharing insights and strategies in real time.

Join a Vibrant Community

Product success hinges on timely insight—yet most Product Managers either can’t find the hours or lack the tooling to run research themselves. This four-week, hands-on program equips experienced PMs with an AI discovery stack that shrinks research from weeks to hours, then verifies every output with human-in-the-loop checks, so every roadmap call is grounded in fresh, trustworthy evidence rather than gut feel. You’ll master AI across four mutually reinforcing practices: 1. AI-Powered Product Discovery Sprints – Run global, scaled, multilingual AI-moderated interviews overnight, auto-cluster themes you can spot-check in-app, and verify problem/solution fit before engineering lifts a finger. 2. Continuous Discovery Loops – Pipe tickets and call notes into AI tools so they can surface both trend shifts and links to raw verbatims for quick validation so you pivot with confidence. 3. Rapid Concept Testing – Launch rapid, scaled concept tests and receive summaries and AI-cut highlight reels; side-by-side raw footage lets you confirm the insight before you decide Go / Iterate / Kill. 4. Synthetic-User Studies – Spin up credible AI personas to test hypotheses, expand your thinking, and probe edge cases, then triangulate findings with live users to ensure accuracy and relevance. WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT • Practical, hands-on guidance – Live demos and guided exercises show exactly how to slot AI workflows into your existing product cadence. • Time-saving techniques – Automate heavy-lift tasks such as concept-test setup, participant scheduling and interview analysis, freeing hours for strategy. • Curated AI tool stack – A focused toolkit proven to accelerate discovery, synthesis and validation is shared without overwhelming you, and saving hours of hunting for the right tools. •&nbsp;Real-World Application: Engage in weekly practical exercises and projects using real-world product challenges, providing immediate feedback and hands-on learning that builds confidence and capability. •&nbsp;Expert Insights &amp; Support: Access detailed playbooks, best-practice examples, and exclusive resources designed explicitly for Product Managers integrating AI into their research processes. WHAT MAKES THIS CLASS UNIQUE •&nbsp;Direct access to enterprise-grade platforms and their founders: Experience full-featured trials and hear directly from tool founders innovators live in class about how AI is reshaping product discovery – and get your specific questions answered. •&nbsp;Balanced focus on tools and prompt engineering – Gain skills that transfer even when procurement or policy limits access to third-party software. Know how to get the most out of prompting to accelerate your research. •&nbsp;Collaborative, Hands-On Learning: Participate in live workshops that combine expert guidance, interactive practice, and peer collaboration to solve real-world research challenges. COURSE FORMAT Live workshops – Four 120-minute sessions, each run twice every Thursday (1-3 pm ET &amp; 7-9 pm ET) for flexibility and small groups. Homework sprints – About one to two hours between sessions applying the week’s method to real-world scenarios. Weekly Q&amp;A – Live office hours for personalized troubleshooting and deeper dives. Recordings &amp; resources – On-demand videos, walkthroughs, prompt libraries and checklists. By the end of the course you’ll capture, synthesize and verify customer insights in a single day, enabling faster, confidently user-aligned product decisions and elevating your strategic impact as a PM.

AI Sprints, Continuous Loops, Concept Tests & Synthetic Users—All Human-Verified

Thursdays

Test and master AI-powered tools for Product Discovery, Continuous Discovery and Concept Testing. Determine which tools are right for you.

Time-pressed PMs who need fresh user evidence to ship features—without waiting on a research team.

PMs eager to fold AI-powered discovery loops and concept tests into their workflow in weeks, not quarters.

Senior product leaders seeking confident, user-centric roadmap calls via rapid synthetic-user &amp; qual-at-scale studies.

Who is this course for

Walk away with a plug-and-play AI research toolkit—sprints, loops, concept tests & synthetic users you can deploy tomorrow.

Run AI-moderated interviews overnight, auto-cluster patterns with LLMs, then review transcripts to confirm themes and share a decision-ready summary before the next stand-up.

AI-powered Product Discovery Sprints that de-risk your roadmap before any code is written

Feed support tickets, call notes and survey feedback into an AI tagging pipeline that flags emerging trends, bundles linked verbatims for quick validation and alerts you only when a real shift appears.

Continuous Discovery Loops — Signal + Evidence

Launch lightning-fast AI surveys + AI-powered interviews, collect video reactions, and test prototypes in minutes. Translate sentiment and usability signals into clear decisions so you can iterate in days, not quarters.

Lightning-Fast Concept Tests — Decision Data in Hours

Generate realistic AI personas to probe edge cases, test assumptions, and surface unmet needs—then validate insights with a quick round of live user checks. Learn how to ask "impossible questions" you could never customers.

Synthetic-User Studies — A New Always-On Low-Risk Resource

Master AI-powered tools for Product Discovery, Continuous Discovery & Concept Testing and elevate your strategic impact.

The Four Essential AI Skills for Customer Research in 2025

AI for UX Expert, Fortune 100 clientele, CEO, author & speaker

Sophisticated AI prompt engineering

Which tool to use, when to use, how to optimize, how to scale research, how to blend qual + quant.

AI-moderated qualitative research

Learn how to ask questions of your repository. Gain insights from large-scale data samples.

AI research analysis and repository research

Learn how to use synthetic customers and researchers and designers to develop a multi-agent system.

How to create and use synthetic users

Demo: Test Product Ideas Instantly with Synthetic Users

Name

Learn to create synthetic users and simulate feedback instantly for continuous discovery.

Simulate Users with AI

Use AI personas to test new ideas and explore needs anytime—no recruiting required.

Keep Discovery Always On

Tap AI expert agents for instant insights into your product, messaging, or positioning.

Use AI Experts for Fast Feedback

Rapid Product Discovery with AI-Powered Interviews

Set up and run AI-powered interviews to validate ideas in under 30 minutes.

Run AI-Powered Interviews Fast

Use AI interviews to test assumptions and gather insights in hours, not days.

Gain Insights in Hours

Watch a live AI interview and see how insights are instantly analyzed.

Live Demo - Watch and Learn!

Speed Up Concept Testing: Fast, Smart AI Analysis for PMs

Use AI prompts to turn customer interview data into clear, actionable summaries in minutes.

Summarize Interviews Fast

Automatically organize customer feedback into decision-ready tables and charts.

Create Actionable Data Tables

Leverage AI to uncover patterns and blockers you might have missed in concept testing.

Find Hidden Insights Fast

AI Prompting Tricks Every PM Should Know

Learn smart prompting techniques to explore customer needs and product gaps fast.

Prompt AI for Product Discovery

Use AI to quickly build interview guides that get you sharp, actionable insights.

Create Interview Guides Fast

Use prompting to turn customer conversations into insights and action plans faster.

Analyze Feedback with Better Prompts

Demo: Agents and Synthetic Users: Customer Research’s Future

Chad Reynolds

CEO, Vurvey

Learn how to create synthetic users tailored to your needs and how to "interview" them and generate insights.

Generate realistic AI-powered users

Use synthetic users to validate concepts before costly real-world testing. Anticipate what real customers might say.

Test ideas with AI-driven personas

Leverage AI for instant expert feedback in your domain. Create an expert partner in insights, branding, marketing, etc.!

Explore synthetic experts as research partners

While I'll show more advanced and specialized tools too, I'll provide LLM prompts to get you started during our meeting.

Try them for yourself while I'm presenting

AI-moderated customer interviews

AI analysis of research

How to partner with synthetic users

Demo: Analyzing Customer Interviews in Minutes with AI

Adrien Wald

Founder, Coloop AI

Learn how prompting can turn hours of interviews into actionable reports.  I'll share prompts and interviews.

Use the LLM you have today for instant session summaries

Sounds less interesting, but a huge time saver! See how AI can structure findings into useful tables and charts.

Automatically build data tables for analysis

Uncover insights you might have missed. See how specialized tools can give you super-human insight-finding strength.

Interrogate your research data with AI

Live Demo: Master LLM Prompting for Customer Research

Learn to instruct AI to make prompts that are easily custom tailored to every step in your research process.

Make Custom Prompts for Every Research Step

Discover how to develop AI-generated interview guides that are custom tailored to your strategic needs.

Create Interview Guides ... Fast!

Understand how to use AI to quickly transform raw customer feedback into actionable product discovery insights.

10x Your Data Analysis Speeds

Get Answers In Hours With AI-Powered Customer Interviews

Set up and conduct your first AI-moderated customer interview in under 30 minutes.

Learn How To Run Your First AI Moderated Interview

Quickly gather actionable customer insights to answer your strategic questions within hours.

Watch as I create a new study live! See how AI interviews me and how it analyzes interviews for key insights.

John Whalen

John Whalen

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